Welcome to Pizzaonia! Reflections from a different perspective --- Diverti Mento, John Frank Giovanni, Frank John Franco, Vera V. Veronica and all of the Pizza digogo DiVinci family invite you to join us - We discuss and share ideas that are relevant to our new emerging world. http://giovanniandfranco.com A division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network
(C)copyright* - Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator - Pizzaonian Space and Aeronautical Administration PSAA
IMAGE: THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS BELIEVED TO BE THE SECOND IMAGE OF A BLACK HOLE EVER RECORDED - from the Mozzarella space probe, Pizzaonian Space and Aeronautical Administration
Today the Pizzaonian Seminar for the Advancement of Real Science published what is believed to be the second image of a black hole ever recorded from space.
Professor Gogi Forbrokei released the second photo today with the statement that the outstanding detail and resolution of the image erases all doubt that this is black hole. Professor Forbrokei is expected to release more information about the continued, amazing success of the Mozzarella space probe later this week
Reported by Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, director
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THE FIRST PIZZAONIAN SPACE PROBE PHOTOGRAPH OF A BLACK HOLE WAS RECORDED APRIL 2012 - from the Mozzarella space probe, Pizzaonian Space and Aeronautical Administration. The two photographs, then and now, are virtually identical
(C) copyright IMAGE: Pizzaonius addressing novitate monks on the need for small acts of kindness. All images from the Pizzaonian Art Institute collection, Abe Staction,curator
The most difficult part of the era we live in is to accept the fact that events have a life of their own and will play themselves out with little help from us. This may sound pessimistic to most, but this has been the way of events since we began our human journey on this mortal coil.
Human frailty and egos being what they are, we have a need to believe we can make a difference. If this makes life easier for you - continue to believe it, but always be aware this may well be an illusion.
If we have no effect on the big issues, what do we affect? For one, we can make positive changes to ourselves. Working on ourselves and changing for the better is something most of us take for granted. We usually presume in our insulated ego existences that someone else causes our problems. This is our folly when we do so.
The big issues play themselves out. Even the players in the big arena have little effect on outcomes. The redeeming feature in our American system is the system itself. It survives by allowing the powers to be to continue to exist, regardless of their own folly. Eventually, even if by default, this means creating an economy that allows all to live well.
This is not altruistic. Spreading the wealth allows the top to survive. When economic and political events become bad enough the process of renewal begins. It is the cycle of our economic, political and spiritual existence. It works repeatedly and has from the beginning.
What then can you do? For one, weed your own garden. Most of the good in this world is the combined small acts of good that create their own karma. This may not sound like much, but it is all you have.
So when you despair of the larger events of this world, do some small good around you. It does not have to be a big deal. Any small act of kindness will do. Then let go and enjoy the moment. You might be surprised at the result.
Sometimes we stray to far from the obvious.For decades the average American has had deeply rooted in their psyche that we are a nation of law.Laws, created by our fairly elected officials, and carried out and executed with fairness and justice.
Though it is not discussed with any regularity, we also believe the basis of the law is the Constitution of the United States.A document held abstractly in high esteem for its wisdom and flexibility.But more important, and as fundamental as anything else, is that as a people we have come to believe what it stands for – the foundation of our stability and of our freedom.A belief sustained without explanation or the need for one.
When the Supreme Court makes a decision we accept it.No matter that we might vehemently disagree with the decision, we accept is as law.Armies don’t march; people don’t take to the streets demanding the overthrow of the government.Disagree as we might, the decision is the law and will remain so until we can bring about its peaceful change.
If as a people we lose respect for the law, and we no longer see it as the arbiter of fairness and justice, but come to see it as arbitrary and unfair, the basis of the life’s blood of this Republic is gone.Not to be naïve, we all appreciate that there has always been discrepancies in the law, and yes there also have been injustices in the law.However, as long as there was the underlying belief that the law provided the means to right itself, no matter how long or how difficult that might be, our fundamental belief remained steadfast.
It seems to me the very foundation of this belief is now shaken and as a result the peril to this great nation has never been greater.In the last several years we have seen in this country the basis of the stability of the law ripped asunder by the very elected officials who are sworn to uphold the very law they now shamelessly disregard.Laws are ignored for political purposes and then attempted to make right by making legal what illegally was allowed happen.
It now happens at all levels – from immigration to traffic laws.We constantly read about or witness the law being ignored at every level, with little or no consequences.
Occasionally, we will see someone selected to be an example that no one is above the law.We all know that it is token and meaningless to the very problem it is superficially addressing.Is it too late?Only we the people will decide when we have had enough and rise up and demand allegiance to the principles that shape this emerging and evolving Republic.Only we will decide if it is too late.
Brother Giovanni
Brother Giovanni has portalized to Worldonia and is currently in the United States commenting on the American scene for PNS. July 7, 2010
We are asked often what is the driving philosophy of the Pizzaonian Monasteries. Many would think we would have a ready answer, but we don’t.
Here in Pizzaonia we have become wary of packaged philosophies and mission statements. They seem to become like stale bread in a very short time.
For us the reason is simple and obvious. Change is about us everywhere. In us, in our neighbors, in the very nature we exist in and share with all things.
The minute we have a philosophy the reason for bringing it into being has already begun to change.
We are all standing on quicksand and the sooner we can muster the courage to accept this fact the sooner we begin to live realistic lives.
Many challenge this notion by reminding us that our position is an invitation to chaos. We agree with our critics, but this does not change the fact.
We are stuck in a dynamic and changing culture, galaxy, and universe. All life is in flux and we are like the drops of water in the river moving with the current.
For many this is a despairing position and becomes intolerable. At first, this can be true, but it is also liberating. Facing a subjective reality has that virtue, and for Pizzaonians this is the defining concept of our existentialism.
The nature of all pizzaonian existentialist thought is to face a subjective reality and let it bring its consequences. The very uncertainty of all things is the quicksand and power of existentialism. The Pizzaonian code for accepting life revolves around this one essential fact.
Then what is the purpose of the Pizzaonian mission and its monasteries and sundry affiliations? Simply this: To evolve toward a perfect union – a familiar phase borrowed and modified from the American constitution.
However, we carry its meaning beyond its original intent. We apply its meaning to all things including our personal relationships, our everyday activity and to our national aspirations.
We use these words as the yardstick by which we measure all that we do – always uncertain, but united always in faith, not fact, that we are all evolving toward a more perfect union.
For those who need certainty and sure proof for what they believe, Pizzaonia is not your place. But, for those who seek a community where who and what you are will be allowed to exist as you find your way through this uncertain life – we are the place for you.
The uncertainty of reality eventually becomes the uncertainty of certainty.*
*A saying posted over the entranceway of our chapel.
“One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude.” Carl Sandburg
Many things can be tied to the creative experience, but three are indispensable: persistence, discipline and solitude. Talent will show itself soon enough if the first three are present. Creativity requires incubation that only solitude can nurture.
We have created a culture that defies you to find this kind of solitude. Our culture demands you be active, and then we drop the defining, final word - productive. God forbid that you are not productive.
Of course, creative solitude has none of these direct attributes, at least in the beginning, which immediately makes it suspect. We have to be engaged in some seemingly useful endeavor to be taken seriously. And creative solitude, unfortunately, is not taken seriously.
I have often reflected that people who enjoy fishing figured this out long ago. As long as they have a pole in the water no one questions what they are doing and solitude is allowed to exist, but only under the cover of useful activity.
So as a people we continue to delude ourselves that we are very creative, and this will continue as long as we willing accept the dumbed downed version of creativity that now exists. Keep in mind by doing so, we allow ourselves selves to be easily ruled by our elected power structure. A truly creative electorate is an unruly group, and very hard to control.
Of course an active and engaged electorate is what our founding fathers and mothers intended. It is interesting that some groups today claim their current beliefs to what the founders believed. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. As for the founders - where did they all go?
The more I observe how people live here it becomes evident there is a frantic element in the American lifestyle that shapes the way the average American views life. This country is so captured by the necessity of success it has little time left for the human values that make living an endurable experience. Quality of life is always discussed here, but is anyone serious about going past the talking stage and defining what that means?
Success seems to relate to how much money you earn. What is bizarre is how much time they devote to the notion that life should not be about that, yet there is little evidence that anyone believes it. The amount of money you earn signifies power and your place in the pecking order.
Add to this, no one in the popular media is interested in discussing the core problem and its root causes. Obviously, to do that they would have to examine the system they have created and no one seems willing to do that. What you get instead is a parroting of steady clichés on how to live the good life that no one can, or is willing to specifically define.
Add to this, the system they have created is basically a good one. However, what continues to interfere with the basic quality of life our society makes overload a part of everything. As an observer, it is obvious that excess in everything is at the root cause. Money, power and winning is so dominant it sucks the air out of everything else.
It would be time well spent for all us to see in what areas we have allowed this to affect the quality of our lives. This goes against the grain, and trying to be objective will not be easy, but a good effort could be life changing for the better.
The great divide in American politics is the dilemma between the new world we are moving to and the old world most Americans still live in today. The old world is dying and the great divide to the new world of promise and stability is a mighty river that is impossible to cross without the construction of a viable bridge that allows safe passage.
And this is the problem that our political leadership from either major party is not willing to confront. Instead we have deadlock while both sides vie for political power. Our President struggles with the problems he inherited while promising to build the new industries of tomorrow. He warns us that we have a long way to go. This is hardly a clarion call to optimism.
Our loyal opposition promises to stop the President’s programs. Somehow we are to believe this is going to solve the issue of the great divide. Obstruction is not a viable program for the future. So where does that leave us? I believe in serious trouble unless we find the political will to resolve the current paralysis of our political debate.
The political will to do so is going to have to come from the people. The initiative must come from the people since our leadership provides us with no alternative. Do we have the stomach for it? Do we have the courage to say enough of “attack politics” and demand a return to a reasonable debate of the issues – or are we as stupid as the politicians seem to think we are?
The problem is further exasperated since a significant number of people are already on the other side of the river, leaving most of the middle and working class behind. They did not need a bridge since they were on the other side from the beginning. This worked as long as the dying side of the river provided the means for survival for those still there – the gap between the two sides, while uncomfortable, was manageable.
The financial and tech worlds always start from the good side of the river - the financial world because they control the resources and the tech side because they are the future. The folks on the other side depend on the status quo to survive – and the status quo is dying rapidly.
The tragedy of our political debate is both sides are partially right, but because of the caustic rhetoric and desire for power, neither side is willing to frame the political debate in a clear and persuasive manner.
We need the President’s programs and that should be obvious to all. The economy was stabilized and the foundation for the future was built. Then the emphasis shifted to the needs for the future and where we need to go, all admirable and necessary. However, what was left out was the present and that is what the bridge is all about.
The loyal opposition is also right. We need frugality and we need efficiency from our government. Our future desperately needs well-managed government. But they overstate their case for political reasons and obstruct any attempt to build a meaningful bridge to the future.
We need the future, we need financial stability, and we need well managed government, and while preparing for the future is critical, you cannot sacrifice the present, especially when the sacrifice is not equally shared.
Simply said the viable bridge for the middle class is more than a metaphor. It is rebuilding our infrastructure and the jobs that will create. We cannot ignore the present and expect to have a future. We still need to move to the future, but we need to travel the road together. What is missing is the political will and courage from our political establishment to frame the debate honestly. Our infrastructure is falling apart and because the political debate has made this “old school” thinking, this alarming fact no longer seems relevant to the argument.
All of this takes place while other emerging and established economies around the world are making massive investments in their present and future infrastructures. We might not have a future if we do not save the present. When the American people sense an honest debate, the people will respond. But even better, we, the people should demand an honest debate on the issues now, or we can expect more of the same – and that can only mean a weaker America. We deserve better than this.
Image courtesy of "The Pizzaonian Art Museum" - Abe Straction, Curator
REFLECTIONS ON THE AMERICAN POLITICAL PROCESS
Some time ago a funny thing happened in the United States on the way to the polling place. Voters stopped taking their political leaders seriously. To some extent they still try to pay attention to their elections and keep up with what’s happening in the political arena, but for the most part they no longer believe what they see or here. While information is king, facts are no longer relevant.
What replaced their need for facts is a nebulous, intuitive feeling on how the events they are witnessing affects them. If they are agitated enough, they vote on this feeling, if not, they can wait for another day. If you think this is the way it always was, you might be right.
However, what makes this time more alarming is the degree to which this phenomenon is now unfolding and shaping present and future events. Information overload has taken its toll.
All of this is not lost on the opinion makers. Today they are able to get information out to millions of people in minutes. That information does not have to be accurate. What it does have to be is good enough to create the negative or positive impression they are trying to place in the public’s mind about a candidate or an idea.
No longer do you see serious attempts to bring reform and positive change. Now what you get is tacit acceptance of the system as it is while the manipulators without restraint use new, ingenious methods that exploit the situation to further their self-serving point of view.
Unfortunately, exploitation of public opinion has become the true art form in the United Sates. This includes the constant manipulating and bombarding of public opinion by innuendo, half-truths and lies all packaged to be made palatable to a mass audience.
This is now endemic to the culture here and has become so pervasive, cynicism is considered normal. Will they change this? - Only when it stops working – and I can see nothing in the immediate future that suggests that is going to happen.
What has caused this? And why do people here feel the way they do about politicians and political events? That will be for scholars of another generation to determine. As for now we can only speculate.
The most difficult concept to accept emotionally as a Christian is the need for relevance.We live in a culture where we feel the constant need to make a difference, to be relevant and to find meaning.
As a Christian, certainly not one as often described from a modern, secular church perspective, but more from the authentic vision of the itinerant carpenter that we choose to worship, we are as heirs to the kingdom, already as relevant as we need to be.
Now this is difficult to accept emotionally, from the perspective of self, and from the perspective of how we choose to see everyone else in the world.Because if I am relevant simply by being, so is everyone else.And by everyone, it means everyone, from the homeless beggar to the President.Now where does that leave us?I believe as equals, regardless of position or station.And this is where the trouble begins.
Most of us are agreeable to the notion that we are equals in a spiritual way.But equally relevant in this world, I think not. Judging from the state of Christianity today, I think somehow we have missed the central Christian point of equal relevance for all.
Which leads to another issue and that is the question of how important is Jesus in today’s world.To paraphrase Andrew Greeley from his book, the Jesus Myth, if Jesus is not relevant to society at large today it is nothing new.After all, Jesus was not very relevant to the society he lived in.They did crucify him as a common criminal.
So somewhere along the way the notion of relevance and meaning, as defined from the original Christian perspective, became seriously perverted.It has been said many times, the Good News is simply too good to believed.
The idea that to love your God and to love your neighbor as yourself takes care of everything else, including making your life immediately relevant and meaningful, is too simplistic and difficult for most of us to be real.Then again, how would we know? Judging from the state of the world most of us have never tried it.